Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

नमः प्रसिद्धाय महौषधाय नमोऽस्तु ते व्याधिगणापहाय । चराचरायाथ विचारदाय कुमारनाथाय नमः शिवाय

Transliteration

namaḥ prasiddhāya mahauṣadhāya namo'stu te vyādhigaṇāpahāya | carācarāyātha vicāradāya kumāranāthāya namaḥ śivāya

Translation

Salutations to You, famed as the Great Medicine. Salutations to You, the remover of hosts of diseases. Salutations to You, the Lord of all moving and unmoving beings, who grants discernment. Salutations to Śiva, the Lord of Kumāra.

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Predicate/Exclamation (सम्बोधनात्मक-प्रयोग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नमस्कारार्थक-प्रयोग

• प्रसिद्धाय: to the renowned one
• प्रसिद्धाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; विशेषण (to the renowned)

• महौषधाय: to the great medicine (healer)
• महौषधाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-औषध (प्रातिपदिक; महा + औषध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (महद् औषधम्/महौषधः)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Predicate/Exclamation (सम्बोधनात्मक-प्रयोग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नमस्कारार्थक-प्रयोग

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन (enclitic)

• व्याधिगणापहाय: to the remover of hosts of diseases
• व्याधिगणापहाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधि-गण-अपह (प्रातिपदिक; व्याधि + गण + अपह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (व्याधिगणस्य अपहः/अपहर्ता)

• चराचराय: to (the lord of) the moving and unmoving (beings)
• चराचराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर-अचर (प्रातिपदिक; चर + अचर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; समासः द्वन्द्वः (चराः च अचराः च)

• अथ: and then/also
• अथ: Discourse connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अनन्तरार्थक (conjunctive/then)

• विचारदाय: to the giver of discernment
• विचारदाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचार-द (प्रातिपदिक; विचार + द)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (विचारं ददाति इति)

• कुमारनाथाय: to the lord of Kumāra
• कुमारनाथाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार-नाथ (प्रातिपदिक; कुमार + नाथ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कुमारस्य नाथः)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Predicate/Exclamation (सम्बोधनात्मक-प्रयोग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नमस्कारार्थक-प्रयोग

• शिवाय: to Śiva
• शिवाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

Speaker

Umāputra (Skanda/Kumāra) praising Śiva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva appears as the 'Great Medicine': compassionate yet sovereign, radiating cool healing light; Skanda praises with folded hands; attendants and subtle herbs/lotus motifs suggest cure and clarity.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kumāra (Skanda)
• Vyādhi (disease)
• Carācara (all beings)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva heals both bodily afflictions and inner confusion, granting health and discernment to those who take refuge in Him.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific pilgrimage place is named in this verse; the ‘healing’ theme is devotional rather than geographic here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse supports devotional recitation for well-being and clarity (vicāra).